Born Primitive Pledges $35 Million in Medical Debt Relief
Born Primitive and Black Rifle Coffee Company are donating online sales profits to ForgiveCo through Veterans Day to erase qualifying medical debt for veterans and first responders.
Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Debt Relief
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Born Primitive and Black Rifle Coffee Company partnered with Operation Debt of Gratitude to erase up to $35 million in medical debt for veterans and first responders. The companies are donating 100% of their online sales profits to ForgiveCo, a public benefit corporation, through November 11.
Why it matters
Medical debt can follow veterans long after their service ends, and the campaign targets bills that many recipients might otherwise struggle to repay. For the first time this year, the effort extends relief to first responders alongside veterans.
Each donated dollar pays off $50 in qualifying medical debt, and one in four young veterans had medical debt in collections according to a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau study. The total number of recipients and dollar amounts for this year's campaign have not yet been disclosed.
The players
Born Primitive
Born Primitive is a veteran-founded apparel and lifestyle brand that started Operation Debt of Gratitude in 2024.
Black Rifle Coffee Company
Black Rifle Coffee Company is a veteran-founded coffee brand that partnered with Born Primitive on the medical debt campaign.
ForgiveCo
ForgiveCo is a public benefit corporation that identifies, purchases, and permanently forgives qualifying medical debt.
The details
Recipients are selected at random from those whose debt qualifies, with no application required, and they learn of the relief by letter. Only online purchases at bornprimitive.com and blackriflecoffee.com count toward the campaign.
Timeline
2024: Born Primitive launched Operation Debt of Gratitude.
November 11, 2026: Veterans Day and the end of the online sales donation period.
Market Dynamics
The campaign's focus on young veterans builds on a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau study finding that one in four young veterans had medical debt in collections. The effort extends that concern by pairing private donations with a public benefit corporation that buys and forgives qualifying debt.
Individuals with qualifying medical debt may be selected at random for relief without applying. Consumers who buy from the participating brands online during the campaign window direct 100% of profits to ForgiveCo.
The takeaway
Medical debt relief can be pursued through partnerships between private companies and debt-buying nonprofits. Veterans and first responders with qualifying medical bills may want to check whether they are eligible for programs like this one.
What happens next
The online sales donation period ends on November 11, 2026, Veterans Day.
Further reading
Explore more on Debt Relief to see how medical debt is being addressed across the country.
More information
Learn more about the Operation Debt of Gratitude campaign and its donation page.
Source note: This article includes information reported by FOX 10.
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